"We lost because the Clippers were determined, physical, focused, played harder than we did," Popovich said, via the Los Angeles Times. "We were soft with loose balls. We were soft. We'd get a rebound and they'd knock it out of our hands.

"[We had a] hard time getting open. Their physicality in that regard was great. We were just soft. It hurt us. I don't know how we stayed in the game, to be honest with you. It was very disappointing to see the group approach."

The defending champions will now have to travel to the Staples Center to face the Clippers. On the positive side for the Spurs, two of their wins this series have come in Los Angeles. But Popovich wasn't exactly seeking out the positives after Game 6, and his players are OK with that.

"We're not going to lie to ourselves," forward Boris Diaw said. "Coach is good with that kind of thing where he tells us the truth no matter what. He tells us when we play good, but he also tells us when we play bad or when we didn't bring enough energy."